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Special Events
Full Listing
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Special Events
Full Listing
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In conjunction with the Stratford Class 47 Group, the MNR will be holding a class 47 running day on Saturday 28th February. 5 return trips between Dereham and Wymondham will feature over 100 miles of ex-Stratford loco haulage.
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Draig Goch (OO9). Photo: Darren Hedges |
Layouts currently booked include: Ffodos Treacle Works (O), Borders Reach (OO), Fairground / Thomas Tank (OO), Hobbs Lane (OO), Wallingford (OO), Rosehill (OO), Småtorp (HO), Eggerwald (HOe) and Rosebud Montana (N). The 2009 Exhibition will also see the return of a section exclusively featuring layouts in OO9 scale organised biennially in association with the Norfolk OO9 Society. The layouts Draig Goch, Glyn Valley Tramway, Southwold (1922), Avon Quay and Maul Valley will all be exhibited.
Trade support will be provided by Mike Handscomb, Magpie Scale Models, Modeller's Mate, Hobbyworld, Terry Durrant, David Green, Electronix Connections, M & B Models, Joe Lock Model Railways, East Anglian Hobbies, Glomart Displays, Bob Pearman Books, Layouts4U and Railway Memories. Also present will be the Norfolk Mardlers with their demonstration stand, Southwold Railway Trust and the Association of Large Scale Railway Modellers.
Exhibition to be held at Neatherd High School, Dereham. A shuttle bus will operate from Dereham Station. Open 10am to 4pm. Admission is £3 adults, £1.50 children.
For further details, please call (01362) 690633 or (01362) 851723 or e-mail sales@mnr.org.uk.
One of two chances this year to have a look behind the scenes at the Mid-Norfolk Railway, with a guided commentary on the train; tours of the station, signal box and yard; demonstration freight trains and goods handling demonstrations; and "driver for a tenner". Blue timetable.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 10:30 - 10:50 | Freight train and goods handling demonstration |
| 11:00 - 11:38 | Passenger train from Dereham to Wymondham (optional commentary) |
| 11:45 - 12:23 | Passenger train returns from Wymondham Abbey to Dereham |
| 12:30 - 13:45 | Driver for a tenner (Dereham) |
| 14:00 - 14:38 | Passenger train from Dereham to Wymondham (optional commentary) |
| 14:45 - 15:23 | Passenger train returns from Wymondham Abbey to Dereham |
| 15:30 - 15:50 | Freight train and goods handling demonstration |
Plus, station and yard tours throughout the day at 11:15, 12:30, 13:30 and 14:30.
Entry to the site is free although charges apply to the train rides to Wymondham and the "driver for a tenner" experience. For further information, please e-mail sales@mnr.org.uk.
An opportunity for four individuals to participate in a driver experience course.
All Mums are special - treat your mum to a traditional cream tea on the Mid-Norfolk Railway. Enjoy a journey through the lovely Norfolk countryside to Wymondham and back. Tea served en route. Adults £10, children (aged 5-15) £6, inclusive of train travel. Booking essential.
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Photo: Jon Batley |
Our annual Spring Diesel Gala will take place from Friday 27th March to Sunday 29th March 2009. Locos in service will hopefully include D8069, 31 438, 50 019, 56 040 and 73 210, as well as four visiting locomotives (classes 37, 60, 66 and 67) from DB Schenker.
A sponsored walk will be held in aid of the restoration of the new signal box at County School.
Free hot cross bun for passengers travelling on Good Friday.
Bring the family as we celebrate Easter with special activities for children. Further details to follow.
N7 No. 69621 (owned by the East Anglian Railway Museum) is expected to operate on 25th and 26th April, and 2nd to 4th May. Purple timetable. 10:15 train on 25th and 26th April will be diesel-hauled, all others steam.
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Photo: Graham Moates |
Join us for an opportunity to experience and relive the home front and wartime Norfolk at the Mid-Norfolk Railway's wartime weekend at County School Station. A display of military vehicles and memorabilia, with wartime music by "Timescape". Trade stalls and special fun for the kids. (Please note: trains do not yet run to County School.) 9am to finish. Entrance £1, children and re-enactors free.
An opportunity for four individuals to participate in a steam driver experience course.
100 miles of Class 50 haulage! In the first of a series of 100 mile running days, we will be using our renowned blue/grey coaches. There will be an on-board buffet car serving real ales and an evening "Beerex" special train.
| Dereham | dep | 08:15 | 10:15 | 13:00 | 15:15 | 17:30 |
| Yaxham | - | 10:23 | 13:08 | 15:23 | - | |
| Thuxton | - | 10:31 | 13:16 | 15:31 | - | |
| Kimberley Park | - | 10:40 | 13:25 | 15:40 | - | |
| Wymondham Abbey | arr | 08:50 | 10:53 | 13:38 | 15:53 | 18:05 |
| Wymondham Abbey | dep | 09:15 | 11:15 | 14:00 | 16:15 | 18:30 |
| Kimberley Park | - | 11:24 | 14:09 | 16:24 | - | |
| Thuxton | - | 11:33 | 14:18 | 16:33 | - | |
| Yaxham | - | 11:41 | 14:26 | 16:41 | - | |
| Dereham | arr | 09:50 | 11:53 | 14:38 | 16:53 | 19:05 |
Wymondham Rotary Club invite you on their excursion, leaving from Wymondham Abbey at 6:45pm and returning by 9pm. Enjoy an illuminating commentary en-route through the Norfolk countryside, passing valleys and hamlets largely unseen from the roadside, to Dereham station for a short break where we will collect our pre-ordered supper to enjoy on the return journey.
There will be an on-board raffle. All profits will be donated to the Mid-Norfolk Railway for the express purpose of improving facilities at Wymondham Abbey Halt.
Adults £11, children £8, to include supper. Supper choices are fish, sausage or vegetarian burger, with chips. Please bring your own drinks. Advance booking only. To book, call (01362) 851723 or visit Wymondham Abbey Station when trains are running.
All this weekend's services will be hauled by our Class 20, number D8069. There will also be demonstration freight trains on the Sunday.
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Photo: Alan Cooper |
A treat for Father's Day with a wide and varied display of classic cars, motorbikes, tractors and other pre-1970 vehicles at Dereham and County School Stations along with the sounds of the era. For an entry form, please e-mail sales@mnr.org.uk or ring (01362) 851723.
Train services will operate between Dereham and Wymondham featuring visiting Class 20 D8069 with demonstration freight movements in the Dereham area.
In addition, we hope to have up to seven vintage buses operating services to County School Station acting as a rail replacement following the withdrawal of passenger train services north of Dereham in 1964! Departures will be approximately every 45 minutes.
The entry price is £3 for adults and £1 for children with public opening hours between 10am and 4pm. Entry to the event is refundable against purchase of MNR travel tickets. Orange timetable with additional demonstration freight trains. Train times to be advised.
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Photo: Nick Pounder |
For one day only, we will be stopping at Hardingham station to enable passengers to travel to the village fete. Our train will be leaving Dereham at 1:00pm. A bus shuttle service will carry the party the short distance from Hardingham Station on to Hardingham Fete at the village green in the centre of Hardingham.
The fete is the classic rural English village fete in a setting of great charm among oaks, the cricket pitch and the attractive village hall. The fete features entertainment, games, stalls, refreshments, cakes, a licensed bar, a barbecue and a well-supported and attractive flower show in a marquee. Hardingham Fete is a great afternoon of family fun.
The bus will return passengers to Hardingham Station in order to connect with the last train. To be sure of your place to visit Hardingham, tickets may be purchased in advance from Dereham Station or by telephone on (01362) 851723. Tickets will cost £5.50 for adults and £3.50 for children.
9466, the popular Western Region Pannier Tank owned by Dennis Howells, returns for its fourth season on the Mid-Norfolk Railway. Services operate to the purple timetable on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.
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Lumière Rouge Ragtime Band Photo: Alan Cooper |
The acclaimed Lumière Rouge Ragtime Band will be entertaining passengers with their New Orleans style jazz throughout the evening on board this special trip.
The train departs Dereham 7:00pm. Tickets (priced £9.00 for adults and £4.50 for children) may be purchased from Dereham Station or by telephone on (01362) 851723.
Once again we are hosting a reunion of ex-railway workers on our line. Invitations have already been sent to those we have details of, so if you worked on the line during its LNER or BR days and would like to come and meet old colleagues, please email Rosemary Cooper (archive@mnr.org.uk) or leave information at Dereham Station.
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Photo: Seafish Authority |
Join us on board for a fish 'n' chip supper with a real ale bar. Meal is cod and chips, 2 sausages and chips, or vegetarian options, together with a pint of real ale, a glass of wine or a choice of soft drink, all served at your seat on departure from Dereham. The steam-hauled train leaves Dereham at 18:30. Fares are £15 for adults and £10 for children, who get a smaller portion size. The fare includes the meal, one drink, and the return trip to Wymondham. Additional drinks can be purchased from the bar. Please book at least a day in advance by calling (01362) 851723.
Also running on Saturday 29th August.
Following last year's sell-out, the Smokehouse Blues Band will be entertaining passengers with their marching band jazz throughout the evening on board this special trip to Wymondham.
The train departs Dereham 7:00pm. Tickets (priced £9.00 for adults and £4.50 for children) may be purchased from Dereham Station or by telephone on (01362) 851723.
Further details to be announced in due course. Locos in service will hopefully include 08 631, D8069, 5662, 31 438, 47 596 and 73 210, as well as at least one visiting locomotive.
On the 4th of October it will be 40 years since the Dereham to Wymondham line was closed to passenger services. To mark this special anniversary and the subsequent re-birth of the line as the Mid-Norfolk Railway, a number of events will be held throughout the weekend. These include a photographic exhibition, a museum display featuring the events surrounding the closure of the line and its rebirth and costumed re-enactors interpreting the public reaction to the closure. There will also be demonstration freight trains and tours of Dereham station and yard.
The highlight will be tours of the line and the stations as they are now, by vintage coaches. There will two tours on each day, one from Wymondham at 9:40am and one from Dereham departing at 2pm. The coaches will call at all the stations including Hardingham, with time for passengers to see how they have been restored and some of the surviving memorabilia. The return journey will be by train, travelling on the green liveried Class 101 DMU, which is similar to the trains that were operating at the time. There will also be a visit to the Yaxham Light Railway.
Seats on the coach tours are limited, so early booking is advised. Booking forms are available from Dereham station on 01362 851723 or you can download the form here. The tour costs £10 per person and includes a souvenir guide to the closure of the line.
The Railway will be operating an intensive timetable, based as closely as possible on the 1960s service between Dereham and Wymondham.
The second of two chances this year to have a look behind the scenes at the Mid-Norfolk Railway, with a guided commentary on the train; tours of the station, signal box and yard; demonstration freight trains and goods handling demonstrations; and "driver for a tenner". Blue timetable.
Details to be announced.
An opportunity for four individuals to participate in a driver experience course.
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Thuxton Church Photo: Owen Stratford |
Join us for a special evening of carols and seasonal refreshments aboard our heritage diesel railcar as we journey to Thuxton for a special carol service at St. Paul's Church. The well-known Barnham Broom Choir will be joining us for the trip to Thuxton and leading a candlelight procession for the short walk from the station to the church. Please bring torches or lanterns. At the Church, we will join with the local community to celebrate Christmas in the form of a traditional carol service. Mince pies and mulled wine will be served on the return journey.
Tickets £5 adults, £4 children. Early booking essential on (01362) 851723 due to limited numbers.
Our ever-popular Santa trains will run on 5th, 6th, 12th, 13th, 19th, 20th, 23rd and 24th December from both Dereham and Wymondham Abbey Stations. Pre-booking essential. Bookings open in August.
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Photo: Graham Moates |
Make a New Year's resolution to travel on a Mince Pie Special from Dereham. Sherry plus mince pies will be served during the 22 mile round trip, with soft drinks and chocolate novelties for the children. Trains leave Dereham at 11am and 2pm, and Wymondham Abbey at 11.45am. Fares: £8 adults and £4.50 children aged 5-15. Under 5s travel free.
Neatherd High School, Dereham. Children's competition, new for 2010: build a model of Dereham station in either "O" gauge scale (4mm to the foot) or "N" gauge (2mm to the foot). For further details, contact Rosemary Cooper at archive@mnr.org.uk.